I have the Mac 90. A cheap AK knock off, but when it comes to sending lead down range, I'll take the AK/MAC 90. I had an SKS. It's just not as good as the AK. I just bought a Ruger mini 30 that fires the 7.62 X 39, Very nice and accurite.

I have the Mac 90. A cheap AK knock off, but when it comes to sending lead down range, I'll take the AK/MAC 90. I had an SKS. It's just not as good as the AK. I just bought a Ruger mini 30 that fires the 7.62 X 39, Very nice and accurite.

Well I have a Chinese SKS and a Romanian. I've shot some AK's berfore. Theirs just something about the SKS's I prefer. Never could get reliable feeding from the 30 round detachable mags though. So in that respect AK's got a fairly significant advantage. One thing I did find out, is, the accuracy of the 7.62 x 39 is very underrated and really does go where I tell em.

Any rifle you have can be a great one. I have a Norinco MAK 90 and love how it looks and shoots. I added a Scope to it. Then next I purchased a Yugo SKS decked out with a Drangonov Stock, a Scope and an attached Bi-pod, with the Grenade Launcher on the end of the barrel. I have noted that the metal detachable duckbill magazines in most cases are crap, until I purchased some TAPCO Zytel Magazines for it (also stay away from Promag plastic magazines). TAPCO function perfectly and come in sizes 5, 10, 20, and 30 round capacity. My last one is a Norinco SKS Paratrooper in original condition with the spike bayonet and a built in 20 round magazine. I also added a scope to this one also. I kept the original covers, for each one so at any time I could put them back to the original design without a scope. Each one is so different from the next, I can not pick a favorite. I'm just happy they all fire the same round and are in excellent condition.

I personally don't have the pleasure of owning either but have had the fun of shooting both. I like the SKS but I too prefer the AK for some reason. Maybe cuz it just looks meaner. My real question is, why is the SKS on the curio and relics list but not the AK? Anyone help me with that?

My real question is, why is the SKS on the curio and relics list but not the AK? Anyone help me with that?

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Any firearm that is 50+ years old, in its original configuration, and not regulated by the National Firearms Act qualifies as a C&R weapon. It does not need to be on the list.

My understanding is that the list was made of firearms that did not already meet the basic criteria listed above but were still of significant collector's value.
The SKS spent only a short time in military service (1949 in Russia to sometime in the 1980s in China), so it's now exclusively a collector's weapon.
On the other hand, many countries still use AK variants as their basic assault weapon, so it is considered to have some military value.

The biggest reason is probably the NFA thing: the SKS was a semi-auto, so it's OK, but a true AK fires full-auto, so the US government doesn't trust citizens with it.

Bizy:
You might want to try the newer Promag blued 10-rounder for your Mini 30. Is is supposed to be the best aftermarket, except for the older Thermolds (very high capacity). Newer Thermolds appear to be available, but guys at 'Perfectunion' (hit 'Mini 14', then 'magazine' forum) are skeptical, due to the low prices listed for them.

My brand-new Promag has operated 99% perfectly since the mag arrived two weeks ago. It is labeled Promag, and the two useless silver junk mags which arrived with my 30 were not even labeled (that says something).
The spring might actually be too tight (!), based on some Mini 30 owner's comments on a different website.
As of today, over 170 rounds with it and one single round did not strip from the mag on the first attempt.
Only Wolf and Monarch ammo.

For what it might be worth, last spring my Mini 14's Ruger factory mag misfed twice when I first bought the used ('90) rifle and used mag. These are supposed to be perfect, but it is old.

In a real running firefight your not going to be able to retrieve your spent mags. Sooner or later you will be down to owning a single shot Kalashnikov.

With a stock 10 shot SKS, as long as you have ammo you'll stay in business.

This has been a hard lesson for me to accept but I have finally broke with my GI idea of the eternal resupply..........

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Learn mag retention. Practice it untill it is muscle memory and you can do it without thinking about it. If you've done it so many times that you can surprise yourself by doing it you're where you need to be. You don't have to throw away mags, and in a genuine firefight depending on the magnitude of it, you may need the higher capacity and quicker reload time of those detachable mags. It would suck to get shot up because of a couple of seconds.

I am still learning the muscle memory for my WASR, wich replaced the SKS that I just got rid of. So I would prefer an ak.

In a real running firefight your not going to be able to retrieve your spent mags. Sooner or later you will be down to owning a single shot Kalashnikov.

With a stock 10 shot SKS, as long as you have ammo you'll stay in business.

This has been a hard lesson for me to accept but I have finally broke with my GI idea of the eternal resupply..........

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Good point. If you don't have a supply line bringing up ammo and mags from the rear, you might be better off with the SKS.
Personally, I prefer the handling characteristics of the SKS instead of the AK - the "traditional" stock configuration is more familiar to me - and the SKS safety is in a better location.
I never had any problem with Chinese SKS's, but I think the Russian SKS is my favorite..... I've owned a couple of Yugo's too, but I wouldn't recommend them.